Kosher cooking advice, please

LewieP's Mummy

I have 2 friends who have become Messianic Jews (their description) and they now keep kosher at home, and keep to dietary rules when eating out. They are coming for dinner tomorrow, and although I know basics, I just want to be sure I'm not breaking any dietary laws with the food I'm making. Clearly, my kitchen isn't kosher, it never will be (leavened bread crumbs everywhere, same pans used for milk and meat ...), I just want to get the food right.

Starter:
Chicken liver pate that I'm making, from chicken livers, sauteed with onions, sherry, garlic then blended to a puree, baked in the oven for 1/2 hour (with salad and home made bread)
or salmon fishcakes (fresh salmon poached in white wine, with onion, fresh dill, mashed with some potato, dipped in egg then breadcrumbs and fried) with sweet chilli sauce, bread, salad.

Main:
Stuffed chicken breast (lemon and thyme stuffing) wrapped in turkey ham (would normally use parma ham, but know I can't, so I've bought cured turkey slices), roast potatoes (in goose fat) and veggies.

Pudding:
Home made cheescake (double/heavy? cream, cream cheese, fruit)
or dark chocolate mousse (oodles of dark chocolate melted and with egg yolk stirred in, whipped cream, whipped egg white, folded in carefully)

Can I serve a pudding made with cream after they've eaten meat? what else am I getting wrong?

Please save me from making a huge mistake, H&A!

Thank you.

ceres

If they are really strict, they will not mix meat of any kind and dairy. That doesn't just mean no cheeseburgers, it also means that they shouldn't eat meat and dairy in remotely the same time frame. Bread is fine as long as it's not Passover, which it isn't for months. So no, you can't really serve that dessert.

You can serve the dessert without the dairy, but not the cheesecake.

edit: oh, and duh. No pork. At all. Of any kind. Ever. No shellfish or catfish or anything that comes from the sea and doesn't have fins AND scales.

That should cover the big stuff. If they eat out ever they obviously don't care about all the rules regarding dishes and so forth. I doubt their clothing is kosher either, so if you can get the big stuff you're probably fine.

LewieP's Mummy

Thanks, ceres, I was worried about the meat/dairy, I'd overheard them saying something about no cream with their fruit salad while we were out somewhere, I'll have a rethink for the pudding.

I knew about pork, that's why I've bought cured turkey - it doesn't taste the same as ham, but its similar. I was going to make crab cakes, til I remembered they were shellfish! Doh!!

adytum

If you're buying stuff at the store (like meat, or other prepared products) and they're strict, make sure it's actually kosher certified food. Kosher is as much about the preparation as about the type of food. That cured turkey may not be kosher, despite it being an acceptable meat.

There will be a little seal somewhere on the packaging to let you know.

bowen

How horribly complicated.

Seems like you've got most of it covered, just make sure you're buying kosher meat, I think that's a thing right?

adytum

bowen wrote: »

How horribly complicated.

As it's strictest, staying kosher requires having two physically separate kitchens. And you have to eat your meals spaced out as to avoid mixing of the ingredients in your digestive system.

adytum

FWIW, LewieP's Mummy, Messianic Jews are not in any way a 'regular' form of Judaism and from some quick research on their adherence to dietary law says it seems that it's applicable only on an individual level.

Any chance you can just call and ask them to find out how strict they are?

ceres

Calling them is really the easiest thing to do. People vary in their views of kashrut... it's really just best to ask them how far they take it, but like I said, if they ever eat out normal places, they are almost certainly not strict enough that you have to worry about where the meat comes from. If you've got the big stuff in mind, you've got it covered.

I find the idea of Messianic "Judaism" dodgy at best, and oh believe me do you ever avoid conversations with these people if you're Jewish, but that's neither here nor there to what's kosher or how strictly they observe as that much isn't even consistent among much of the Jewish community.

Avraham

Just ask them what they are okay with. Even orthodox Jews vary in how strictly they observe kashrut

Niceguy Myeye

Avraham wrote: »

Just ask them what they are okay with. Even orthodox Jews vary in how strictly they observe kashrut

This goes for anyone with any type of dietary restriction whether it's religious, vegetarian, or something like Crohn's or Celiac's disease. Check with the person you will entertain first.

LewieP's Mummy

Thanks, everyone! I guess I'm off to a supermarket in Cheetham Hill in the morning